massie-trump

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie’s district includes all of Northern Kentucky and the Ohio River counties stretching from near Louisville in the west to Ashland in the east.

But Massie is running a campaign ad in Florida this weekend, according to national media reports.

Politico suggested that Massie purchased air time on FOX News in south Florida this weekend to attract the attention of one person: President Donald J. Trump, who is there for a visit to his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Massie faces a primary challenge from Republican attorney Todd McMurtry, who serves as legal council to local cities and also to Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student suing national media outlets for their coverage of the student’s participation in the March for Life event in Washington, D.C. last year.

In the ad, Massie takes on McMurtry, referring to the local attorney as a “Trump hater.”

Youtube video

The ad highlights criticisms of Trump made by McMurtry on social media.

But McMurtry has also taken aim at Massie for not being supportive of some Trump policies.

The recently signed U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal (USMCA) is one such instance. Massie voted against the updated trade agreement, which the president championed, while McMurtry said that he would have supported it.

In announcing his primary challenge plans in January, McMurtry told the Courier-Journal that President Trump could not count on Massie. 

Massie emerged from a crowded Republican primary in 2012, defeating then-State Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington and Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore in their quest to succeed Rep. Geoff Davis, who left office that year.

Massie had never faced a serious challenge from a Democrat or a Republican since. McMurtry hopes to change that.

-Michael Monks, editor & publisher